


The Lion and His Cub

by Haru207



Category: Super Junior
Genre: Alternate Universe, Developing Relationship, Multi, Neighbours, Single Parents, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-23
Updated: 2016-01-12
Packaged: 2018-05-08 18:16:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5507918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Haru207/pseuds/Haru207
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He had put a lid on that incident three years ago, because life must go on, because he needed to function, if not for himself, then for his child. He kept himself closed off to any new relationships, only allowing space for family and friends, and it had been okay. But then his floor gained a new tenant. Someone too meddlesome for his own good.<br/>After a series of wrong impressions and revaluations, he found the wall cracking here and there. But was his heart ready for exposure yet?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Interruption

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kpopismydrug](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kpopismydrug/gifts), [teaseofnight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/teaseofnight/gifts), [leorizanzel](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=leorizanzel).



> Dedicated to kpopismydrug and teaseofnight: Thank you for keeping the kyuhae fic fandom alive, for continuing to give me inspiration to write.  
> Dedicated to leorizanzel: Because you're one of my favorite kyuhae fanfic writers, even if you're on hiatus now.  
> Also dedicated to all the kyuhae writers and shippers out there. A fandom is more than just one person after all :)

_Kyuhyun_

*Ding dong*

“Appa, someone is at the door!” Haru called out.

“I know. Do not open the door. I’m coming,” he yelled back in reply from the bathroom, trying to put on some semblance of an outfit.

He exited the bathroom still in the midst of buttoning his shirt and hurried to the door. When he opened it, what greeted him was not a person but a cake. On a second look, he realized there was a person holding the cake. Of course there was.

The stranger was a man around his age, give or take a couple of years. He had good build but was slightly shorter in height. His hair was dyed a nutty brown and his face…his face was probably the most handsome he has ever seen. Square-jawed, with soft mocha eyes and a mouth that is curved in an ark, an expression meant for him. Realizing he might have stared too long, Kyuhyun coughed to hide his embarrassment and inwardly hoped his cheeks weren’t blushing madly like they often do in these moments.

“What do you want?” his voice came our harsher than he intended.

“Sorry, did I interrupt at a bad time?” the stranger spoke.

Kyuhyun saw the stranger’s eyes taking a brief glance at him and took a look at his own appearance. He groaned and covered his face. Well, if his cheeks weren’t red before, they would most certainly be now. In his haste to get the door, he had dressed too carelessly. The result was sweat pants that were hung low on his hips and a shirt with mismatched buttons and open at the collar.

“Sorry, I just came home from work and was finishing up my shower when you rung the bell.”

The stranger grinned in reply. “Oh I see. I apologize for calling you out so suddenly.”

He gave a quick bow, “Nice to meet you. My name is Donghae, Lee Donghae. I just moved in the room next door and thought I should greet my new neighbour. Er this is a cake. Ah of course you can see that. I mean this is a cake I made. For you. To eat. Or share with whoever lives with you. Er unless you live alone then never mind….I should probably shut up now.” The stranger—Donghae, he corrected—scratched his head with a weak laugh.

Just then, Kyuhyun felt a pair of hands grabbing the edge of his shirt. It was Haru. The girl must have gotten curious at what was happening outside. If it was someone she knew he would have invited them in a long time ago.

“Oh hello there,” Donghae bent down and greeted Haru with a smile.

“H-Hello,” Haru greeted back politely but quickly hid behind him. She was weary of strangers, just as Kyuhyun taught her to.

Turning back to Donghae, he said, “I am Kyuhyun. This is my daughter, Haru. Thank you for the cake but I am not fond of sweet things and it’s too much for Haru to eat. You didn’t have to trouble yourself to greet us. If you need help with anything, it’s best that you try asking Ms. Ha Yeon at 1302. She has lived here a while and likes to help new tenants.”

Donghae stared at him and he returned the favor equally. For a few seconds. Then he broke the silence, “If there is nothing else, I bid you good night.” Seeing no further movement from Donghae, he closed the door.

That was not very nice of him, he knew, but could not bring himself to give much care. Kyuhyun didn’t care about the other tenants on his floor so long as they kept to themselves and gave him no trouble. That has been the way for the past 3 years and he saw no reason to change it now.

If that Donghae guy thought Kyuhyun was someone to be relied on a as a neighbour, well, he thought wrong.

“Appa, who was that?”

He ruffled her hair, earning an indignant yelp. “Just a new neighbour, nothing for you to worry about. Remember to never open the door without me. It doesn’t matter if it’s someone you think you know.”

“But he brought us a cake. Does that not make him a nice person? Why did you refuse it? It was chocolate,” Haru pouted.

The willful statement earned her a light knock on the head. “He could be a kidnapper who tries to lure children with cakes for all we know. What did I teach you about strangers?”

Haru rubbed her head and pouted even more. Still she replied dutifully, “Don’t open the door or accept things from them without you.”

“That’s my girl. Now go watch TV while I make dinner. I believe it’s time for your favorite show.”

 

 

_Donghae_

He imagined his new neighbour(s) to be a family, a couple perhaps, or a single person. What he didn’t expect was a young father with a young daughter. He also didn’t expect his new neighbour to so…incredibly hot. Though the same cannot be said for his personality. You know what they say, appearance can be misleading.

But as he recalled Kyuhyun’s state of half-dress, his mouth curved up in a wicked grin. He was downright delicious until he opened his mouth. Mussed hair that was still wet from the shower and the ends slightly curled. Doe-like eyes the colour of ink slightly obscured by his glasses and full luscious lips. His shirt was long-sleeved but the glimpse of collar and chest from the mismatched buttons was tantalizing enough, beckoning for touch. When he blushed under Donghae’s stare, the sight was downright adorable. Kyuhyun was taller and leaner than he was, but that was actually a bonus. Kyuhyun was, in fact, totally Donghae’ type. Until he opened his mouth. Though truth to be told, even his voice was lovely too. Low-pitch, silky smooth and rich, like a tempered couverture chocolate he could rarely afford.

If the little girl didn’t appear in time, Donghae might have asked his neighbour out before his brain can even think the idea through. It was a bit disappointing to realize not only is his sexy neighbour married, he also had a child.

Donghae realized he should not be harbouring such indecent thoughts about his neighbour, but then again, from the looks of it, they weren’t going to have much further contact anyway. He wanted to savour the thoughts for a bit, if only to mask his growing loneliness as he stared at the empty apartment.

Why did he decide moving out was a good idea again? …Oh right, because his previous roommate and cousin Jungsoo got engaged. The man was going to find a place to live with his fiancée after marriage but the house market these days was hard and their budget was low. So Donghae offered to move out instead. Because Jungsoo was like a father to him, and this was the least he could do. A congratulatory wedding gift, he had called it. Both Jungsoo and Sora protested vehemently at first of course, but Donghae could be quite stubborn when he wanted to.

Maybe he should have taken Hyukjae’s advice and posted an ad to look for a roommate. But as much as Donghae loathed solitude, he was not desperate enough to share his living space with a complete stranger. He could share a bed with them, but he drew the line at cohabitation.

Donghae had hoped his new neighbours would be friendly so he could ease the loneliness a bit, but his hopes were clearly dashed.

Now suddenly Kyuhyun was not so attractive anymore. Donghae decided then that he hated the obnoxious man, treating him like he was an annoying insect. He grabbed a fork and dug into his cake, which took him the better part of the day to make, all the while sending every curse towards Kyuhyun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always wanted to write a chaptered Kyuhae fic for a long while. It's been a while since I last wrote or posted fanfics (ever since SJW died down). This fic has been in the works since last year, and still no where near finished (or even half-way through), but I just found the courage to post it today.
> 
> This fic is inspired by numerous sources. The idea of single parenthood, particularly single fathers, have always piqued my interest. Raising a child is a lifetime career, and even with two parents it's arduous work, let alone one parent.  
> One particular manga depicting a single father left a deep impression on me. But more than that, it also told a story about first impressions, about revaluations of character, which we all do on a daily basis. The manga's name is Sorenari ni Shinken nandesu for anyone curious.  
> Donghae is often an obvious choice for the father role given his personality and his affinity with kids, but I think making the "prickly" Kyuhyun being the father would be more interesting. 
> 
> This fic is set in an AU world, more specifically a world of "what-ifs": What if Super Junior/SNSD didn't exist, but the members' lives are still entangled with each other regardless, and close relationships still form? What if they weren't idols but ordinary people with ordinary careers?


	2. Second Impression

Few nights later…

_Kyuhyun_

Kyuhyun was trying to find something cool to drink in the fridge when he realized they were out of milk. Ryeowook, who was his friend and a nutritionist, had often nagged him about the importance of making sure his daughter drink milk regularly.

“Just because you are tall does not necessarily mean Haru will be too. Plus, milk is not only good for height, it’s also good for her bone health, growth and prevent the risks of many diseases. Make sure she drinks at least 3 cups a day, you hear me?” was the usual lecture from Wook.

Sometimes Kyuhyun wondered if his friend was extra sensitive about this issue due to his small frame. Not that he’d say that to Ryeowook’s face, he thought with a chuckle. Besides, though the nagging can be annoying, Kyuhyun was grateful regardless. He owed the (little) man for all the advice and help he had given regarding Haru.

So even though it was nearly 10pm, Kyuhyun begrudgingly put on a jacket and went to buy milk. Of course the only place open was the convenience store nearby, so that was where he headed.

As he was walking back, he was greeted with an interesting scene.

“Stupid fish, why did you drink so much? You are a beer guy, so why did you chug down soju tonight like it was water? And why the hell do I have to carry you home?” said the man who had Donghae’s arm around his neck. Donghae was, as the man pointed out, completely wasted. His gait was wobbly and his face was red to the nose.

“B-becauuse you looovee meee, Hyukkie!” sang the drunk man.

“Pfft, in your dreams.”

“Says the man who dated me in high school. And who are you calling fish when you are the anchovy?”

“Shut up. I was stupid, and so were you. Besides, it was an experiment, remember?”

So Donghae and this ‘Hyukkie’ used to go out? Does this make Donghae…gay? Wait, why did that even matter to him? Kyuhyun shook off the thoughts.

The pair had arrived at the elevator. Kyuhyun stood next to them, his eyes straight ahead.

“So why did you drink so much tonight Hae? Still pissed off from earlier? You shouldn’t mind that manager’s words. ”

“They hired me to choreograph their dance, but failed to put in much effort in practicing. And yet the manager thought it was my fault for creating such a complex choreography? Excuseee meee? They think they are the big shot now, so they can say whatever they want? With over ten members, do you know how hard it was to choreograph the formations?”

‘Hyukkie’ let out a sigh. “It always amazes me how coherent you can sound despite being drunk. If only you can sound the same sober. To answer you, yes, I do know. You ranted to me almost every night over the phone remember?”

*Ding* The elevator had arrived. All three men stepped in. ‘Hyukkie’ pressed the number 13 so Kyuhyun didn’t have to. ‘Hyukkie’ sent him a puzzled look.

“I live on the same floor,” Kyuhyun said curtly.

“Oh. Ah sorry about this idiot. He isn’t normally like this. Today had been a rough day for him,” ‘Hyukkie’ said, thinking that Kyuhyun was annoyed by the scene the pair was making.

“Yeah, I get it.”

*Ding* They got off the elevator. Kyuhyun sighed with relief, thinking he was able to escape at last.

“Hae, what’s your apartment number again?”

No answer. ‘Hyukkie’ turned around. To his horror, Donghae had fallen asleep and was putting all his weight on him. Which was a bad idea, considering how much of a lightweight he was, how could he carry this dead fish?

“Yah Lee Donghae! Wake up! How dare you drop dead at a time like this? Argghh, why is it always like this? You’d be coherent one moment, and dead asleep the next. I’m gonna skewer you alive when you wake up, you stupid fish!”

Kyuhyun shook his head once again. He wanted to ignore the pair. It was easy. All he needed to do was turn his key and walked inside. But before his brain can process it through, his feet were walking towards their direction.

“He lives in 1309,” Kyuhyun said and slung Donghae’s other arm on his shoulder.

“Oh? You know Donghae?”

“He’s my neighbour,” was all Kyuhyun said in reply.

Together they half-dragged Donghae to his apartment. After some fumbling around, ‘Hyukkie’ managed to find the key and opened the door. With some struggle, they finally managed to put Donghae to bed. As soon as that was done, Kyuhyun walked off.

“Hey, don’t leave so soon! I haven’t thanked you yet,” ‘Hyukkie’ quickly chased after him and grabbed his wrist, which surprised Kyuhyun. The man was so fast.

Kyuhyun quickly extracted his wrist. “No need. I just didn’t want you to make more noise in the hallway and wake my daughter.”

“Still, it was kind of you. I’m glad to know Donghae got a good neighbour like you. I’m Lee Hyukjae by the way, Donghae’s friend and colleague.”

“Kyuhyun. I won’t say it was quite pleasure to meet you considering the situation. Anyhow, I’ll be off now. Good night.” He exited without a look back. This time, ‘Hyukkie’, er Hyukjae, didn’t stop him.

What a weird night. He had certainly learned two new things about his neighbour. One, Lee Donghae was a dance choreographer of some sort. Two, he was gay, which meant he should try to avoid the man all the more.

 

Back at Donghae’s apartment,

“Kyuhyun? Is that the ‘rude’ neighbour you were talking about some time ago Hae? He is certainly snarky but not as terrible as you made him out to be. And yeah, he is good looking alright,” Hyukjae commented to a snoring Donghae. Of course there was no reply.

 

_Donghae_

He woke up to a major headache, which was understandable given how much he drank last night. He remembered Hyukjae had to help him get home. Although what happened after they got in the taxi was now a hazy memory. He did remember getting up a few times during the night to vomit though.

As much as he liked to stay in bed, he had to get to work in a couple of hours. He downed 3 cups of water and an aspirin, which was his usual method for this kind of situation. Not that getting drunk was a usual occurrence. Now he needed to eat something. His headache easing, he dragged his feet to the kitchen.

30 minutes later and a small pot of congee was ready. Thankfully there was some leftover rice in the fridge so it didn’t take long. He had thrown in whatever else he could find in the fridge.

“I need to do grocery shopping soon,” Donghae mumbled to himself. He had been slacking off ever since he moved in this place. Back when he was still sharing with Jungsoo, Donghae was often the cook since he was better at it. That was fine, considering Jungsoo was the neater one and was in charge of keeping their place clean. But now that Donghae was living alone, he found less motivation to cook. It was hard to cook for just one person, for one. And without anyone sharing the meal with him, there was not much point. He preferred to cook for others.

He was finishing the congee when his phone rang. The caller ID was ‘Anchovy’.

‘Are you up yet you dead fish?

‘Good morning to you too anchovy.’

‘Don’t you use that voice with me. Who was it that dragged your sorry ass home yesterday huh?’

‘Sorry and thank you for that Hyuk.’

‘Hmph. So you are coming to work?’

‘Of course. Like I’ll give that manager more ammunition to throw at me.’

‘Good. I’d have kicked you if you failed to show up today after all the trouble you gave me last night. Ah by the way, I met your neighbour.’

‘Who?’

“Kyuhyun. The one you complained to me about.’

‘How?’

‘Well he was back from some errand I think. You passed out before I could ask you which room number it was so Kyuhyun told me. He even helped me carry you inside since you were so damn heavy.’

‘You are joking. There is no way he’d have done that,’ Donghae scoffed.

‘Why would I lie? Even I was surprised after he told me his name since I realized he was the rude neighbour you were talking about. Maybe you caught him on a bad day?’

‘Well, I did interrupt his shower.’

‘Yeah, maybe that’s it. Anyway, I gotta go. You better be there when I arrive.’

‘Kay. See you.’

Well, that was certainly some news in the morning. Cho Kyuhyun, his rude (but hot) neighbour helped a stranger like Hyukjae carry him inside his apartment? He still found it hard to believe. But maybe, as Hyukjae put it, they just somehow got on the wrong foot that day. He supposed when he see the man next, he got to thank him for last night.

Now, he needed to get changed and ready for battle. He refused to let himself be cowed by some idol group barely out of high school.


	3. Unasked Knowledge

_Donghae_

“Ah, my apples!” While fumbling his pockets for keys, Donghae had inadvertently tipped his grocery bag. The apples he put right on the top fell out and rolled on the floor. He mentally cursed the supermarket for their new policy of charging for plastic bags, and himself for his cheapskate decision of stuffing everything in one bag. With a sigh, he put the bag down and ran to catch the apples.

Suddenly a small shadow filled his vision, along with a young girl’s voice: “Ah, it’s the Cake Ahjusshi!”

“Huh?” Donghae looked and up and saw a girl around 4-5 years old picking up some of his apples. She could obviously only grabbed two with her small hands, but still she bounced over to him.

“Here you go! You just need to wash them well before eating them. Appa said food should not be wasted,” the girl said as she handed the apples over to him.

Donghae accepted the apples with a smile. “Thank you for you help, little one. Your father taught you well.” He would have ruffled her hair if not for his full hands, and the fact that her mother has probably spent time dressing her up. The little girl was wearing a pretty blue dress, her hair done in twin loop braids and tied with red ribbons. She beamed back at him, and Donghae was not sure if she was proud of herself or of her father.

“Where are your parents, little one?” The girl looked familiar. She was probably one of his neighbours’ child. He had not greeted all of his neighbours yet.

“Don’t call me ‘little one’! I am already five!”

He laughed. “Okay then, how should I call you?”

“My name is Haru. Appa said not to tell strangers my name, but you are not a stranger, right? You are Cake Ahjusshi!”

Why did she keep calling him that?

“I suppose. But you are better off listening to your appa, Haru-ah.”

She nodded, understanding what he meant. What a smart girl, Donghae thought. Must be in the genes.

Suddenly Haru’s eyes sparkled. She pointed to the apples in his arms, “Are you gonna make a cake with them?”

“Huh? A cake? No, no, I’m just gonna eat them as is.” The way her eyes drastically fell after hearing that made him laugh. “Why do you call me the Cake Ahjusshi? Did you think I am a baker?”

Haru opened her mouth to answer, but the sound of a door opening distracted them both. To his surprise, it was the infamous neighbour, Kyuhyun, who came out. With a start, Donghae realized he was standing in front of the man’s apartment this whole time. Maybe the man heard the ruckus and was about to give Donghae a scolding. Except Kyuhyun didn’t even look at him. His attention was on Haru.

“Haru, I told you to wait for me inside. Why didn’t you listen to me?” Kyuhyun spoke without preamble.

Donghae was surprised a second time. No wonder the little girl seemed familiar. She was Kyuhyun’s daughter. That might explain why she associated Donghae with cakes, given their first meeting.

Said girl looked at her father guiltily and answered in a small voice, “B-because the elevator always takes long so I wanted to press the button early…”

Well, you can’t fault her reasoning, Donghae thought with an amused smile.

Kyuhyun, though, was not amused. “And when the elevator comes, were you going to hold the doors until I come out? Even if it takes more than 10 minutes? We are not the only ones living in this building, Haru.”

“I’m sorry, appa.” The poor girl tightened her shoulders, trying hard not to cry.

It was time to intervene.

“She meant well, Kyuhyun-sshi. Don’t scold her so badly. Besides, she didn’t even get to do what she intended,” Donghae spoke quickly, hoping he wasn’t adding more oil to the fire.

Kyuhyun looked up and noticed Donghae for the first time. While the man was still caught in surprise, Donghae plunged on. “She helped me picking up my fallen apples instead. Even told me to wash them well before eating them. Said her appa taught her so.”

Kyuhyun’s eyes noted the apples in Donghae’s arms, and a couple more still on the floor. Donghae could almost see his mind assessing the situation and thinking on how to react. Finally, a corner of his mouth curved up. He patted Haru’s head lightly.

“Good girl. But if you can listen to me on that, you can also listen to me when I tell you to wait inside, right?” His voice was less stern this time.

Relieved that her father was not angry anymore, Haru nodded quickly.

Donghae thought the man was going to ignore him again, but Kyuhyun actually inclined his head toward him. “I apologize for making a scene,” he hesitated for a brief second and added, “Donghae-sshi.”

He waved the apology away. “Don’t worry about it. Being a parent is tough work.”

“Thank you for your understanding. Now, you must excuse us. Let’s go Haru, before Mimi and Vic bite our heads off for being late to their party.” And off the father-daughter pair went. The elevator came quickly this time, and Donghae hoped they make it in time for the party.

He transferred the apples in his arms back into the bag and went to grab the last ones. But another pair of hands was once again faster. This time, it was not a little girl but an elder woman, one he recognized as Ms. Ha Yeon from 1302—the nosy but well-meaning neighbour who likes to help new tenants, including him.

“Donghae-sshi, right? You are the new tenant in 1309.”

He thanked her for her help. Once all the apples were back in the bag, he opened the door to his apartment. He was just about to step in when Ms. Ha Yeon’s words stopped him.

“I hope you didn’t take it to heart. What happened with Kyuhyun-sshi, I mean. Being a parent is tough, as you said, but more so when you are a single father like him.”

“Huh?”

“You don’t know? Well, I suppose, with Kyuhyun-sshi being so closed off you probably didn’t get to talk much. He was married, but his wife passed away 3 years ago. That was when he moved here. Probably couldn’t bear to live in the old place and get haunted by memories. Their poor child. I wonder if she remembers how mother look like. She must have been, what, 2 years old at that time? Tsk, tsk, such tragedy. He still wears the ring and hasn’t brought a single woman home in all the time he was here. Well, unless you count that Chinese woman? But she always comes with the other man, also Chinese.”

That was a lot of information that Donghae didn’t ask for. It gave him a new perspective on Kyuhyun, which he appreciated, but Donghae didn’t like the careless way in which Ms. Ha Yeon talked about their neighbour’s private issues. Kyuhyun himself probably wasn’t even aware of the extent of this woman’s knowledge.

“Well, thank you Ms. Ha Yeon for the information. However, I have stuff to do so I can’t continue with the gossip,” he put emphasis on the last word.

His tone startled Ms. Ha Yeon, who smiled awkwardly and bid him goodbye.

Alone at last, Donghae began to put away his grocery. He thought about all the information he just received. It explained a lot of things.

He realized that he had indeed not seen Kyuhyun with any woman that could be his wife. It should have been obvious by now, but Donghae just never really thought about it. No wonder Haru kept going on and on about her father, but didn’t mention her mother even once. That also means the one who dressed her up was Kyuhyun. And that it was also him who did the girl’s hair.

It was fascinating to know that beneath all that snark Donghae received when they first met, Kyuhyun was a complicated man who was above all, a pretty decent father.

Oh, Donghae just remembered that he forgot to thank Kyuhyun for that drunk episode last week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it!


	4. A Voice Heard

_Donghae_

Donghae reached over for his phone. Seeing the caller ID, he briefly wondered why his brother might be calling so late at night.

‘What’s up, hyung?’

‘Are you free tomorrow after 5pm?’

‘Why?’ A suspicion was forming in Donghae’s head. His brother was usually straight-forward, unless he was asking for favours.

‘Ya, is that how you speak to your hyung?’

‘My hyung usually gets to the point by now.’

‘Smartass. Alright, I’ll give you that. I was supposed to attend Minho’s parent-teacher interview tomorrow.’

‘The key word here is “was” right?’

‘Well, I somehow mixed up the dates, thinking the interview was next week, and just realized my error now. It’s too late to ask someone to substitute for me at work. So…I was wondering if you can attend the interview in my stead…’

Donghae groaned. He hated it when he was right. ‘What about noona?’

‘She’s on a business trip, remember?’

‘No, I don’t remember.’ He could hear his brother gritting his teeth at that reply. Donghae was usually not this insolent but it was late and he was tired. And as much as he loved his nephew, Minho’s parent-teacher interviews were often a pain in the butt.

‘Please, Donghae, you know I wouldn’t ask this of you if it was otherwise. I’ll owe you a favour.’

Damn right his brother was going to pay him back. He dragged a hand down on his face before gritting out, ‘Fine, I’ll do it. But yes, you owe me big time.’

Despite how he sounded, Donghae knew he was going to say yes sooner or later. He wasn’t going to stand Minho up. The boy deserved better.

‘Thanks Donghae. Remember to tell me everything afterwards.’

‘Sure sure.’ He wasn’t going to, that would make him a bad uncle, but no need to tell his brother that bit.

‘Alright, I’ll text you the information and address soon,’ his brother said before hanging up.

Donghae stared at his phone for a moment, still unsure what just happened. Well, there went his Friday night. Better tell his buddies that he could no longer join them for a night out.

 

 

 

_Kyuhyun_

Hearing a knock, Kyuhyun paused what he was doing and looked over to the classroom’s door. It was his friend and colleague, Ryeowook, who walked in.

“Kyuhyun ah, I’m going now. Any last words?”

“Thanks for doing this. I’m sure Haru will love her time with you. Just make sure she takes a shower as soon as she gets home. Her cartoon show is at 6 but don’t let her watch the TV for too long afterwards. And…what else, hmn?”

“I didn’t ask for a lecture. It’s not as if this is my first time,” Ryeowook stuck out a tongue at him, a gesture that only worked for someone as baby-faced as him.

“Yes, you’re right. Sorry.”

His friend smiled, “You can be such a worrywart sometimes, but it’s alright. Anyway, have fun with the parents!” The last bit he said with a teasing grin.

Kyuhyun rolled his eyes, “I’ll try. Now get going already! I don’t want her wondering where her Ryeonggu is.”

Ryeowook gave one last wave before setting off.

Left alone in the classroom, Kyuhyun let out a long sigh. It was going to be a long evening. This was his least favourite part of being a teacher. He hoped his wits will still be in tact at the end of it. In an effort to calm his nerves, he went through the list of students’ parents who will be attending tonight’s interviews and tried to rehearse his lines. The ‘script’ will be mostly useless later on, but he felt better having one than none.

_An hour later, break time…_

Well, it had not been as bad as he thought. It might be because it was still early in the school year and as such, parents were not freaking out as much. It was also a good thing that he taught at a middle school and not high school. Kyuhyun wasn’t sure he could handle SATs overzealous parents and their stressed out children in the same room. He might have preferred teaching high school math, but the stress and burden were not worth it. Not when Haru was still so young anyway.

He had already finished eating his snack, saving room for proper meal at home. Now he had nothing to do except wait for the next parent(s). After a few minutes, he realized his thoughts were spiralling downward. His brain disliked being idle for too long, and coupled with nerves, the result was a mind of full of things he imagined could go wrong in the next hour or so. To distract himself, he decided to sing. There were about five minutes left of the break. Nobody else was in the room. He was safe.

He disliked singing in front of an audience, unless they were close friends or family. One would think that after years teaching, he would have gotten used to being stared at by now. Not when it came to singing though. Perhaps it had to do with how personal singing was to him. He always attached a small piece of himself with each song he sung. Not necessarily because he connected with the lyrics, though that happened too, it was the melody itself that he bonded with. Sometimes the attachment was too intense that his usually composed self would shed a few tears. Close friends and family had witnessed this a couple of times, much to his embarrassment. Even though they often told him afterwards that it enabled the listeners to feel with him, made their hearts go pitter-patter, broke them into a million pieces even. High praises, he knew, but he felt embarrassed nonetheless.

Sometimes he wondered what would have happened had he followed his music teacher’s advice in high school and auditioned to be a singer. But like many what-ifs, he would soon put a lid on the thoughts. Danger lied down that road. Amongst other things, the memories of that night three years ago would resurface, and grief will consume him like an open flame. No, he needed to stay sane, to function, if not for himself then for his daughter.

His mind supplied him with the lyrics, and he recognized them to be Park Hyo Shin's "Wild Flower". His music teacher somehow convinced him to sing it at the graduation ceremony, claiming that his voice suited the song. He did not agree, and this was confirmed after the speakers finished playing the last note, and the entire auditorium was in absolute silence. For a few seconds, maybe even less. Then suddenly his ears were flattened as the crowd erupted. Everyone was standing up and clapping non-stop. At least that was it felt like.

His classmates explained a bit to him afterwards. He was the top student of his school. When he got up the stage, people expected a boring speech, not being blown away by _that_ kind of voice. Their words, not his. They even told him that his entire family cried, which he still didn’t believe. His mother and sister crying, he could buy, but his stoic father who never approved of him taking music as an elective?

He didn’t sing the whole song. It would have been too long. But when he did finished singing, he was jolted out of his seat when he heard a knock on the door. Damn it, he had left the door open. Kyuhyun hoped his voice wasn’t loud enough for whoever at the door to hear it. That was the last thought in his mind before it blanked out at seeing who his next ‘parent’ was.

It was Lee Donghae, his new neighbour. And from the looks of it, he wasn’t alone in his shock.

The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds before Kyuhyun broke the gaze. That was when he noticed the boy standing next to Donghae. It was Minho, one of his students in Gr.7 Math. His brain reactivated as he tried to figure out their relationship. Donghae couldn’t possibly be the father, unless he was much much older than how he looked.

Kyuhyun noticed Minho was looking back and forth at them. The boy must be quite confused.

Since he was on the job right now, Kyuhyun tried to school (pun not intended) his features back into composure. He gave a small bow.

“Good evening, I’m Cho Kyuhyun, Minho’s math teacher. And you are?”

_Donghae_

The rehearsal finished much later than he liked. The group made too many mistakes, understandable given that this was only the 2nd practice. But their agency did not allow them to leave until the boys could master the choreography. Which was ridiculous, thought both he and Hyukjae. The boys were obviously wrung tight with exhaustion, which meant missteps, and stress over their upcoming comeback, which meant even more mistakes. As soon as he and Hyukjae gave them the okay, they all slumped on the floor. A moment of rest, before they got whisked away by their managers for quick showers and onto the next schedule. Ah, the life of idols. Donghae pitied them. As much as he liked music and dancing, he was certain he could not endure the life of an idol.

When he finally showed up his brother’s house, he was greeted with a pissed off nephew. Donghae felt like crap. The boy had had enough of disappointing adults in his life. There was no need for Donghae to add himself to the list. Despite his profuse apology, the boy continued to have that expression all the way to his school and as they walked through the hallway.

Until they reached his math teacher’s room, and heard someone singing from within. They stared at each in befuddlement. Donghae silently mouthed to his nephew, ‘You sure this is the right room?’, which earned a snort from the younger.

‘I think I know my own school and classes, uncle.’ The brat.

Did his math teacher also teach music then? Because that was no ordinary voice.

There was something about the person’s voice, something about the way it hypnotized people, about the way it sent Donghae into a trance, how it reminded him of warmth and comfort, that all of his coherent thoughts went down the drain and he could do _nothing_ but listen.

Something about how it encased Donghae in a comfortable blanket, how it made him feel like he was drowning in a pool of warm chocolate, the way it sent soothing messages to his mind, that Donghae found himself thinking _‘If heaven has a voice, this must be pretty close to it’_.

Involuntary he closed his eyes, shut down his thoughts and just _listened_. His mind blocked out all other unnecessary noises as it concentrated on one and one only sound –the person’s singing.

When the melody stopped, Donghae opened his eyes and felt as if he had just woken up from a dream.

‘That…that was your _math_ teacher, Minho?’

‘Don’t look at me. I’m just as surprised as you are. Damn, no wonder I always fall asleep in his class,’ the last sentence earned him a knock on the head.

Donghae hoped the teacher would continue singing but they could not stand outside for that much longer. Reluctantly, he rapped his knuckle against the door.

He then walked in with Minho tailing behind…and stopped dead in his tracks.

The owner of that heavenly voice and Minho’s math teacher was…his neighbour Kyuhyun?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone haven't heard/seen Kyuhyun sing "Wild Flower", here is the link of him singing it at KRY Concert in the summer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKIpKjnQw30  
> It's not the best video, but has the clearest audio. 
> 
> He also sang it again on broadcast for King of Masked Singer (I still prefer the one from the concert though): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uUq_jMekro  
> Ugh, I keep wishing he had used it as his 2nd song and then another song for the 3rd. He could have totally won.


	5. Revaluations

_Kyuhyun_

“Good evening, I’m Cho Kyuhyun, Minho’s math teacher. And you are?” he was glad that his voice sounded stable enough.

After a half bow, he looked up again at his neighbour, Donghae, who still stood like a statute at the door. A moment of panic hit him. Did the man hear his singing? He cursed the foolishness in him that decided singing at that time was a grand idea.

It was not until his student, Minho, gave Donghae a slight kick to the shin, that the man ‘woke up’. He seemed to notice Kyuhyun’s expression, however that looked like, and let out a weak laugh.

“S-Sorry, I lost my mind for a second there. Happens often, perhaps way too often, others say. Ah, never mind that,” Donghae paused as if to recall where his line of thoughts was, “Right, introductions. Er, I’m Lee D-Donghae, Minho’s uncle. His father, my brother that is, had some issues at work and was unable to come here himself. He sent his apologies.”

Kyuhyun resisted the urge to laugh. Why was it that whenever they met, Donghae often had a tendency to stumble over his words, drunk or otherwise?

But enough idle thoughts. He was at work, Kyuhyun reminded himself.

“I understand. Life has a way of messing with our plans. Thank you for coming in his stead. Let’s get the interview started. Both of you, please take a seat over there,” he pointed to the two chairs he had set up next to the teacher’s desk.

Once everyone was seated, Kyuhyun began the conversation, “Have you taken a look at Minho’s latest report card?”

“Y-Yes, I have.” Kyuhyun guessed the man must have read it just on the way, or his nephew had just briefed him on it.

“Then you have seen his grade and my comments on his performance. Do you have any questions or things you want to discuss regarding them?”

Donghae was silent for half a minute (he was a math teacher, he calculated these things). Minho was at a cross between nervous and pretending to be bored, his usual expression in class, when he was not sleeping that is.

“Well, his grade is not great, I will give you that. I may not be his parent, but I know the kid enough to know he excels in outdoor activities better than indoor. So I can somewhat understand his grade in math. But then I noticed the class average is 73, which from what I remember of school, is quite high. I can only assume it must either be because you are a great teacher or an easy marker. Either way, I wish to understand why it doesn’t seem to work in Minho’s favour.”

Now it was Kyuhyun’s turn to be silent. He was astonished, to say the very least. In his years of teaching, he had no doubt met with people who came as substitutes for parents in interviews. Generally they had not read the report card, did not know or care about the student very well. They would just nod to whatever he had so say and walk out shortly after. But this man, not only was he the opposite of all those, he even dared to challenge Kyuhyun’s teaching method.

Gone was the man who stumbled over his words and blabbered on in Kyuhyun’s presence. Just as Kyuhyun played his role as a teacher, Donghae was now playing his role as a guardian. That half minute of pause earlier was not because he had nothing to say, but because Donghae wanted to organize his thoughts, because he cared enough about his nephew to not do any less.

Kyuhyun was not alone in this assessment, it seemed, since Minho was even more taken aback by Donghae’s little speech than he was. It was understandable. From what Kyuhyun and other teachers gathered, Minho’s parents were those busy career people who did not spend enough time with their children. The exact nature of their relationship, Kyuhyun was not sure of, having never met the boy’s parents himself.

Minho rarely talked with any of the teachers except the one for P.E., whom he formed somewhat of a bond with. When he did speak to them though, there was a hint of defiance in his tone, a glint in his eyes that told them he did not trust any of their words. Perhaps he had come to view adults as untrustworthy.

“Since you have put it that way, Donghae-sshi, perhaps you might want to ask your nephew how often he sleeps in my class?” Kyuhyun threw the challenging tone back at his neighbour, but regretted it immediately. Groaning inwardly, he cursed his smartass mouth for always having a reply to whatever people said to him, often in the same tone that was given. He was a teacher in a formal interview, which was neither the time nor place to get snarky or start an argument.

A look of chagrin passed by Minho’s face. Donghae, though, was not as perturbed. “I heard your voice often lulled him to sleep. It’s hard to take in complex math while listening to such a voice.”

Now Lee Donghae had moved from challenging to insulting. Did he just use Kyuhyun’s voice as a basis for critique? What kind of blasphemy was this? None of the parents that came before this interview was even this accusing.

Kyuhyun took a deep breath to collect himself. The last thing he needed was to engage in pointless argument with a student’s ‘parent’. He tried to re-direct the conversation.

“Let us not get into an argument. I think we can at least agree that the purpose of this interview is not to discuss my quality as a teacher, such an evaluation comes at the end of the semester, but to discuss Minho’s performance and how he can improve his grade. You obviously care about your nephew. So do I, believe it or not. I am also a parent. I think of the students as children under my care, and I want them to do well, not to fail them discriminately. Since we are both on the same ground, let us proceed differently from now.”

Kyuhyun paused for effect, and seeing Donghae nod in agreement, he continued on, “I know math is not an exciting subject for children, except me probably, and that Minho often gets bored in my class. Perhaps my lullaby voice is a factor, perhaps not. But let us discuss ways we can get him to pay attention in class, understand the material and do the assigned homework. I’m sure he doesn’t want a repeat of this interview as much as us, isn’t that right, Minho?”

The boy gave a curt nod. He seemed fully interested in the conversation now. Donghae, too, had changed his expression. At the beginning of their meeting today, he was the picture of surprise, next nervousness, then challenging, and now fully open for discussion. For the first time, Kyuhyun noticed how expressive his neighbour’s eyes were. This man hid almost nothing from the world, a double-edged sword. It made him vulnerable, but also compelled people to do no wrong against him, lest they want his hurt expression to never leave their minds.

Their conversation continued on in that light. They discussed Minho’s strengths and weaknesses, his learning capabilities, what would motivate him to learn/do homework, etc. Donghae even nudged his nephew into the conversation a few times, bless the man. By the end, they had somewhat formed a plan of action. Kyuhyun was to tweak his teaching a bit and to have some one-on-one sessions with Minho after school or during lunch. Donghae was going to talk to his brother and wife to ensure Minho do homework. Kyuhyun had the feeling Donghae did not know how that particular conversation would turn out, but that he was willing to give it a try anyhow.

At last their interview was over. Kyuhyun escorted them both out. They exchanged goodbyes and thank-yous. Kyuhyun felt his mouth curving at both ends now. He gave Donghae one last bow and returned to his desk.

His butt had just touched the seat before someone flew through the door. It was Donghae. At the speed he was travelling, Kyuhyun found it surprising that his breath still had a steady rhythm. But then again, he was a dancer after all. And from the looks of his physique, probably had lots of stamina. Wait, did he just check out his neighbour’s body? This day was getting crazier and crazier by each moment.

“Did you forget something, Donghae-sshi?” he found himself asking.

“No-I mean yes. I did forget something-I mean I forget to _say_ something. With Minho around, it was a bit hard to say, but I sincerely want to thank you. For today. My brother and sister-in-law, they mean well, but they just haven’t spent as much time as they should with the kid. He has had enough of disappointing adults in his life, and I’m glad you are not one of them. It might be just one class, one student among hundreds to you, but to me it means that another adult has deigned it to care about him. I try to do my part, whenever I can, but I’m not around as much. So thank you, Kyuhyun-sshi.”

Kyuhyun could only stare in response. Will he ever stop being surprised by this man? Nothing the man did seemed to fit within Kyuhyun’s expected normalcy.

“Erm, thank you?” he eked out at last.

“I meant every word.”

“I believe you, Donghae-sshi.”

“Alright, then I will take my leave now. Goodbye, and I guess I will see you around?” that last sentence sounded funny, but made sense considering that outside of this setting, they were neighbours still.

“Ah wait, I almost forgot again. Last time we met, you know, the apple incident, I didn’t thank you for helping Hyukjae handle my drunk self. I’m sorry you got to see that. That was quite an embarrassing episode, and I’m kinda glad I don’t remember much. But Hyukjae did tell me about it, and I want to thank you nonetheless. And, and, sorry I interrupted your shower the first time we met. I kept leaving you with bad impressions, I’m sorry. T-That is all, I think. I will leave now. Goodbye!”

He exited the door at the same speed that he flew in. Just like a gust of wind, leaving Kyuhyun behind to process what just happened.


End file.
